KathyRN Family's Trip Report: Adventures in Autism: WDW... A FEW PICS, FINALLY! pg 13

[KathyRN137]

April,

I'll PM you on TGM. OKW sounds heavenly!

Kathy

 

[jodistar]

Believe it or not, I’m already beginning to squirrel away various items for our vacation! I keep a Disney Box , which I fill with supplies as we get closer to our departure. Some items get shipped down in advance while others get packed in with our luggage.

I have started a box also

I ordered some special t-shirts for the family. Yes, we have been known to do the matching t-shirt thing……you know how much of a nerd I am! (I mean, really! I did start my first TR 6 months in advance!) These shirts are in honor of this year’s trip being taken during "Jersey Week" . They are red with “Jersey Girl”, “Jersey Boy”, “Jersey Mom”, etc. embroidered in royal blue and with a few stars embroidered in white. They look pretty sharp! (IMHO). When I finally get a digital camera, I will post a pic. I’m hoping to get one for my birthday in October. Hooray! The TR will get pics!

You sound a lot like me - our last trip I had personalized T-shirts done too, and I will most likely do it this trip too!

I can’t wait to get back there!

Same here - sounds like you have a great plan. I can't wait to see the pictures!

 

[MarieS]

Kathy--
Our first trip was several years in the planning so I shopped sales at The Disney Store and online for t-shirts and shorts. Since I am also a scrapbooker I wanted our outfits to coordinated for pictures. Kinda neurotic, but it was fun! I will be shopping the after Christmas sales this year in preparation for our Dec 2007 trip.
I understand your reaction to Billy's interaction with Eeyore! My boys were constantly surprising me on our trip. My youngest was so animated and reaching out to the characters. And my oldest really surprised me by wanting a lanyard and collecting pins. He is non-verbal and we were at the muppet store at MGM. Another boy came up to him ( which in itself was wonderful since so many people are hesitant of the wheelchair) and asked to trade pins. I said he can't talk, but would be happy to trade. My son was all smiles and I was almost in tears over my son being treated like a "regular" kid. The magic of Disney!

 

[KathyRN137]

My son was all smiles and I was almost in tears over my son being treated like a "regular" kid. The magic of Disney!

Yes, it is such a joy to feel more like a normal family when at WDW! I am blessed with a typically developing daughter as well as with my son. Having Billy really makes me acutely aware that I can never take her "normalcy" for granted.

Kathy

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

Can't wait for November to hear about your trip! (And because it will mean it's almost time for my trip!)

 

[Mary Anne]

I have so enjoyed your pre trip report this evening.

I just returned from a week at "home" in the OKWest. You will love it. It may not be our home DVC but it is the one we enjoy the most.

Looking foward to the rest of the report.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I am enjoying your report! I can relate to planning the next trip as soon as you get home, and I can relate to calling for dining 180 days in advance for people who won't give you much input! DH wants every meal to be a buffet, and DS wants every meal to be mac & cheese. Great.

DS will be in 5th grade and I am pretty sure taking him out of school for a week would be a bad idea. We're going to take him out for 3 days in December, but it will be a surprise. That way he won't be distracted in the days leading up to the trip, and he won't tell his friends he will be missing school for Disney!

I have learned some interesting facts about autism from this thread! DS is almost 10 and was diagnosed with inattentive ADD in February. Funny thing is, he has some quirky things that appear to fall in the autism spectrum. Hand flapping when he gets really excited, tactile defensiveness, and lots of humming, singing, etc. His doctor did a screening to rule out Asperger's, but I am going to keep these things in mind. Some of the behaviors have decreased as he has gotten older, but they are still present. The medications we have tried for the ADD have done NOTHING to improve his focus in the classroom, so we might need to pursue further testing to make absolutely sure the diagnosis is accurate.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

 

[KathyRN137]

I saw a tee shirt once that read, “Life is all about how you handle Plan B. ” I should probably wear one like it every day! It could be my motto.

Simba: “What’s a motto?”
Timon: “Nothin’, what’s a motto with you?”
(Cracks me up every time!)

Yes, once again, my beautiful plan has been rearranged. And I was not one bit happy about it (at first). You may have noticed the absence of Travel Arrangements in the previous versions of the Operational Plan. Well, that is because I have been watching the airfares from Newark to Orlando for about four months, now, and hoping that they would fall a bit. Of course, the price of gas is a factor, but I was astonished that fares that typically have been in the low $200’s were now in the high $500’s and not budging! The only fares in the $200’s were for connecting flights, which would be very difficult for both Billy and Aunt Rae (7-9 hrs of travel).

Ed even suggested that we drive down , but we would have to make so many rest stops that it would take us way too long and would cut into our Disney Time. Besides, did we really want to spend all that time in close quarters listening to Billy stim and Tricia saying, “Be quiet!” all the way from N.J to Fla.? Uh, no. We would be on our last nerve by the time we got to WDW and I shudder to think of the ride home! Besides, the minivan would gobble up a small fortune in gas, anyway. I think Ed was secretly relieved when I vetoed the suggestion!

So, I looked at non-stops out of New York. Non-stops into Tampa. Non-stops out of New York and into Tampa. Orbiz, Travelocity, Expedia. Zip, Zilch, Nada. I was getting worried and seriously considering the connecting flights. Why were the fares so expensive for the second week of November? And then, it came to me….

JERSEY WEEK!

Of course the fares were not going to come down! Supply and Demand. All the Disney lovers in Jersey were heading to Orlando that week! Ugghhhh. Not good. Not good at all!

I suggested the connecting flights to Ed and Aunt Rae. Ed didn’t think Billy could handle it and Aunt Rae was fearful of lost luggage and swollen ankles. Soooo….Plan B !!

Instead of vacationing from Sat to the next Sun, we will travel midweek and vacation from Wed to Wed. We lose a day, but the airfare for the non-stop flight is much more realistic for a family of five.

But, my plan, my beautiful plan!
My ADRs! My beautiful ADRs!
And one less day of WDW!! Oh, the pain, the pain!

“What’s the big deal,” said Ed, “It’s just a vacation; don’t get so upset!”

Just a vacation? JUST a vacation?? This isn’t “just” a vacation, this is WDW we’re talking about!

Okay….okay….I’m over it now. Plan B . Sigh. Well, in the big scheme of things, it really isn’t such a big deal.

Getting married (way) too young to a guy who turned out to be an alcoholic, getting divorced and then starting over…that was a big Plan B.

Having a beautiful, healthy, normal baby and then finding out, three years later, that he would never have a normal life because something was wrong with his brain…. that was a bigger Plan B than I could ever imagine.

Yeah, it is just a vacation. So, we lost one day.
Let’s look at the pro’s of this situation:

Saved big $$$ on airfare that can now be saved for our marathon weekend trip in January. Also saved $$$ by cutting out one night at resort.
We have a non-stop flight from the most convenient airport.
We will have three days post-Jersey Week with lower crowd levels in the parks.
We will now be able to see the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights at MGM.
We will now be able to see the new "Nemo" show at Animal Kingdom (opening 11/12).
We will now be able to see the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review at Fort Wilderness on our evening off from the parks.
The kids don’t miss any more days of school than they would have with Plan A .

Called Disney Dining (again!) and was able to rearrange all ADRs. Thank Goodness!

Husband is happy.
Aunt is happy.
Kids are happy.
So, I am happy.

Life is all about how you handle Plan B .

Kathy
(Oh, shoot! I have no idea how to fix my ticker!)

 

[JERSEYGIRLINSI]

They are red with “Jersey Girl”, “Jersey Boy”, “Jersey Mom”, etc. embroidered in royal blue and with a few stars embroidered in white. They look pretty sharp! (IMHO).

We all know that Jersey Girls are the best girls
You gotta love us

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Kudos to you!! I am completely rigid about planning, and something like that would have absolutely derailed me. Not permanently derailed, of course, because you do what you have to do to get to WDW, but I would NOT have been happy!

 

[TwinkieMama]

I just found this and read the whole thing while my 3 little ones played king of the mountain in my lap.
I was so good!
I literally cried (more than once). Thanks for sharing your upbeat attitude and amazing family with us. I'll be looking for further adventures...

 

[mjmcca]

I live in Brooklyn so I feel your pain about airfare. Sometimes you can get great deals others it is too expensive to contemplate a trip.

 

[wvdislover]

We rescheduled our last trip twice--first, b/c I scheduled it the same week as dance recitals, second, b/c of airline tiks. All worked out pretty well, except that T.S. Alberto hit during our trip! We didn't make our ADR at Prime Time (I'd been wanting to go there for years and was finally gonna get my chance!). When DD4 looks at you with big puppy dog eyes with rain pouring down on her, what can you do, esp. when DD8 and DH aren't thrilled about standing in the rain, either? It's just rain--we're not gonna melt, people! But I gave in to my family. Oh well, it's just another excuse to go back soon! I'm glad everything is working out with your rescheduling!

 

[KathyRN137]

Just had to share something amazing about Plan B:

We received Tricia's soccer schedule for the Fall....

Wanna know what weekend the final Cup matches are being held?

Nov 4-5 . Yes, that's right! The weekend we would have originally been in WDW if we were still following Plan A !!

Will wonders never cease!

Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Hello, all!

Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Doin’ the Double Digit Dance!!
That’s only 99 more days until WDW!

Okay, I know, still a loooong way to go. But, it sure beats saying “199 more days until WDW”, which is where we started when first planning this trip!

Planning Update:
ADR’s have been completely rearranged to accommodate our new vacation dates. I’m really glad that I decided to add the Hoop-Dee-Doo Review for a night when all six of us will be together. Should be a blast! *Must remember to call in advance for the chicken nuggets for Billy and gluten-free fried chicken for Aunt Rae.

And, speaking of dining, we decided to go ahead and add DSS (Eddie) to the Dining Plan, even though he will only be staying for three nights out of the seven. (I’m still planning to sweet-talk him into missing just ONE day of school—he’ll be visiting for 2 weeks in August and I’m going to “work on him”—I’ll let you know how that one turns out!) We can use the extra TS credits for the HDDR. He’s got the typical insatiable appetite of a 16 yr old boy, so I know the snack credits won’t go to waste! And if there are any CS credits left, we’ll just grab some sandwiches to take with us to the airport on our last day. Just don’t feel like dealing with the DDP/out-of pocket complication while he’s here… should make things easier all around.

Took Aunt Rae to the Disney Store yesterday and she bought her 7-day Park Hopper ticket. I bought Eddie’s ticket, too. (The rest of us have APs.) Can’t believe that a 7-day ticket is only $15 more than the 3-day ticket. Well, I got the 7-day with the no-expiration option for him. This way, IF he joins us for a few days next year, he’s got a ticket just waiting for him! Ha! Just one more reason to come with us to WDW!

Oh, and just for you, JERSEYGIRLINSI, I picked up our “Jersey” tee shirts, and they look GREAT! Can’t wait to show you!

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Ooops! Sorry about that! Billy just came up behind me and gave me a huge bear hug around the neck! And, a few dozen kisses and sniffs! (You may recall that he likes to sniff and smell things.) He loves to press his face against my hair and inhale deeply. Then he chuckles with happiness and does it again before running off! Makes me feel like a huge bouquet of flowers or something!

I’m so, so glad that he is sensory-seeking is this respect; some autistic children have an aversion to physical contact. Not my Billy! He’s eight years old and, at an age when most boys are shrugging off hugs and kisses, he still loves to snuggle up next to Ed and me. He’s finished his Extended Summer Program and can now start his “real” summer vacation. Nothing but swimming and playing until September! Good thing, too, because the temperature will be 100* for the next three days!

Stay cool, everybody!

Kathy

 

[Mary Anne]

So glad to still see you posting updates. I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful trip.

 

[KathyRN137]

Hello again!

My DSS(16), Eddie, has been up from N.C. for his two-week summer visit, and we’ve been having a great time. After suddenly realizing that we would probably not have another visit from him until our November trip, I decided to hold a family "Disney Meeting" so that all six of us could actually sit down together and discuss our daily itinerary. As much as I relish my role as our family’s official WDW Trip Planner, I wanted to give everyone a chance to put in their own two cents.

And so, while Ed drove across town to pick up Aunt Rae (and some ice cream), I cleared off our dining room table, set out an assortment of WDW maps and travel guides, and put five CDs of Disney music in the player on “shuffle”. While we waited, Billy danced around to "Hakuna Matata" and Tricia and I took out our photo albums from our previous trips and flipped through the pages. We laughed and chatted away as the memories came swirling back. Was this ‘tween the same girl who, just one day earlier, had been rolling her eyes at me when I gleefully announced, “just 90 more days to WDW”? Perhaps the pixie dust was starting to take effect!

Everyone gathered ‘round the table and were briefed on the mundane details of dates, departure times, tickets and transportation. Then came time to talk about the fun stuff! Everyone oohhed and aahhed over my Operational Plan , drawn up with multiple colors for different parks, meals and activities. (Okay, so perhaps it was only Aunt Rae who oohhed and aahhed; the others have seen the OP in its many developmental phases already). Well, at least Ed smiled at me indulgently and Eddie stifled his urge to laugh out loud. Most importantly, I had everyone’s attention!

There was agreeable head nodding as I described the rationale for visiting which parks on which days. Loud dissention when I explained that the OP would not allow for a visit to Epcot during the weekend when Eddie would be joining us. (“But what about TT and MS ??”) Furious bargaining as we tweaked the plan to include Epcot on the weekend and add some MK time elsewhere. And downright amazement when Ed suggested giving up precious resort time for more time at the Studios (to see both the LMA show and Indy !) Go figure!

We then named each park and went around the table so each person could name his or her “must-see” attractions and shows. No big surprises as far as Ed, Billy, and Tricia were concerned; except that Tricia has declared that she wants to try R&RC (she NEVER goes upside down on rides!) Eddie, naturally, is interested mostly in the thrill rides, although he surprised me with his desire to see CoP in the MK. It’s always been closed when we have visited in the past, so I’m hoping to finally get to see this classic attraction as well. My Billy loves everything, especially the 3D movies and anything that goes fast!


The real stunner came from Aunt Rae. If you recall, she had visited DL several times over the years. Her only trip to WDW was in 1997 with her sister, her niece, and her niece’s two children. Evidently, she did not have the best time.

AR: “My niece wouldn’t get up early because she was on vacation. We never made it to the parks until about 11 o’clock and she and my sister were more interested in the shops than in the attractions. They complained that the lines were too long.”

Me: “Well, what did you do at the Magic Kingdom?”

AR: “We did Small World, Dumbo, and the teacup ride .”

All (in unison): “That’s all?”

AR: “Oh, and the carrousel .”

Me:

Tricia: “We do more than that in the first half-hour!”

AR: “It was a shame. And it was pretty much the same for Epcot and MGM Studios. It was so expensive, and we really didn’t do much at all.”


I’ll say.
Oh, and guess who paid for their entire trip?

(Things That Make You Go Hmmm.)

Everyone reassures Aunt Rae that she will have a MUCH better time with us! Now, I’m really on a mission! And the whole family is finally excited about the trip!

And now….
We wait! And wait!

Bye for now—

Kathy

 

[AshClan]

I just discovered this fabulous pre-trip report last night, and I am loving it! We are going to be there the same week as your Plan A, and my DS12 is an Aspergers kid, so I so appreciate hearing all your details. I have printed out the 2nd version of your schedule, and may go ahead and Re-subscribe to TGM based on your comments, too!

Your Billy sounds so sweet, and I am happy that he, like so many autistic kids, has such great experiences at WDW. With Aspergers, we don't have the communication problems (mine rarely stops talking!), but the sensory issues are big. (Interestingly enough, the 3-Ds are one of the things we have to avoid most of the time!) The DIS and so many other great sources have always helped us to have a magical time, and our family trips to WDW are always our best vacations!

I look forward to hearing more from you as the big day approaches, and will keep an eye out for you (and your t-shirts!) during the first 1/2 of our week. Have you ever done Hoop Dee Doo before? It's one of my son's very FAVORITE memories. We are going again this time around, and can't wait!!

 

[KathyRN137]

Hi Susan !

Well, I'm glad that someone will get good use out of that itinerary, because mine has been switched around so much due to our change of travel dates that I'm not even going to post it until we are just about ready to leave!

Yes, we did see the HDDR on our first trip in 2003; Billy was 5 yrs old at the time. I remember that he really enjoyed the music; he kept jumping up and down and laughing. Actually, he does that in regular restaurants all the time, so it was a relief to not have to try to keep him in his chair during the show!

The only thing we plan on doing differently this time is that we are not going to use the Disney transportation to get us from the resort to Fort Wilderness. The last time, we took a bus to the MK and arrived just in time to see the boat leave the dock. After what seemed like forever, the next boat arrived, but it made stops at all the Bay Lake resorts before finally arriving at FW. Ed was ready to pop a gasket because he hates to be late for anything. We had to literally run to Pioneer Hall to make the show! We were fine, but Ed was Grumpy for the whole time and irritated because Billy wouldn't eat the food (too busy enjoying the show!)

I figured that to avoid that same situation again, we would probably have to leave our resort about 2 to 2 1/2 hrs before the show. (When you get to the bus stop, you can't be sure if you will be waiting for that MK bus for 5 min or 50.) In any case, we need to have an adequate rest/nap break after touring in the morning, so we definitely don't want to cut into that.

This time, we're just going to take a cab. Hakuna Matata.

Kathy

 

[momofdbsdc]

Kathy,

I am soooo enjoying your pre-trip report!!! We have 2 children that are considered special needs. One that has autistic tendencies and definitely has sensory issues(rocking, humming,laughing at nothing...). Our other ds has sensory issues and has an aversion to loud noises-he also just started speech therapy this year. He doesn't understand receptive language and was having difficulty speaking full sentences.(He probably suffers from auditory processing disorder, but is too young to be diagnosed with it).

We returned from Disney in May and their therapists could not believe how much they progressed in the 2 weeks we were gone. They had no regression and both had made astounding improvements!!! It brought tears to my eyes when I read about your son and Eeyore. Disney truly is a magical place for children and adults alike!!!

They keep begging to return, so we are surprising them with a trip in Apirl! I can't wait to read the rest of your report!!! Happy planning!

Kim
momofdbsdca